Matthew Bacoate, Jr. full interview

Asheville native and businessman Matthew Bacoate, Jr. discusses his life and what he has learned serving in the U.S. Army, owning a business, and observing the racial climate in western North Carolina. Born in 1930 on the Southside of the city, Bacoate developed business acumen by observing his parents and other business owners on "The Block," Asheville's Black business district. He would go on to own AFRAM Inc., the largest African American-owned business in Asheville history. Bacoate was also a key figure in the desegregation of public accommodations during the early 1960s.

Interview by Michael S. Williams | Video by Julia Wall